Bichaed mcmillan



(No Model.)

R. McMILLAN.

PIANO TUNING PIN.

No. 345,711. Patented July 20, 1886.

wf wr la W WWW N PL ERs. Pholc-Lilhognpher. Washin UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

RICHARD MOMILLAN, OF KINGSTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

PIANO TUNlNG PlN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,711, dated July 20, 1886, Application filed June 1, 18 5v Serial No. 167,231, (Nomodoli) Patented in Canada February 10,1:55, No, 21,118.

"0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD MoMILLAn,

of the city of Kingston, in the Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stringing Pianos and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a pianoforte, showing my improved stringing. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on line :0 :0, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an independent elevation of the screw-follower. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views of my improved wrest-pin.

My invention relates to improvements in that mode of stringing pianos in which the string is attached to a head or follower sliding in a screw-threaded hole in the wrest-plate, and a tuning-screw depressing the follower to tighten the string; and the object of my in vention is to obtain a delicate and accurate adjustment in tuning.

A is the sounding-board, B thepiano-frame, and O a strip inserted between the soundingboard and the metallic wrest-plate D, bolted to frame B, which plate D may be grooved at top to inlay a wire, E, on which the strings F hear, In the wrest-plate D are sunk holes tapped with a screw-thread, each holegrooved longitudinally, the groove admitting the string F, and the hole receiving the adjusting or tuning screw I.

G is a follower attached to one end of the string F, and is inserted in the screw-tapped hole and depressed therein slidingly by turning the tuning-screw I to give the required ten sion to the string in tuning.

To prevent the follower G from twisting or turning, it is provided with a lug, H, at the side, to fit into the groove of the screw-threaded hole. The lug fills the groove accurately to prevent the follower turning by the frictional contactof the end of the adjusting-screw and subsequent reaction by the strain of the wire. The lug also causes the follower to run smoothly and accurately in its hole without turning or twisting, and permits of a very delicate adjustment, so essential in tuning, and also is convenient for fishing the follower out of its hole by a hooked wire inserted in the groove and catching the lugin case the string F should.

break within the hole. The upper end of the follower is provided with a central. indentation, and the tuning-screw I has a pointed end, which centers in the indentation, so that the follower is prevented from wabbliug and kept clear of catching in the screw-threads when rising by release of the tuning-screw l.

The exterior of the tuning-screws I is re duced and has a smooth shank, the terminations being formed tapering and foursquare to receivcthcordinarytuning-key. The reduced ends of the screws prevent the strings running from the back or top row from catching in the screw-threads.

The followers G are transversely lapped with holes J K, the lower end notched to re ceive the string, and have a groove up the wall opposite to lug H, to intersect the holes, to pre vent contact of the strings with the screwthreads in the hole in which the follower is placed, and preferably the upper hole intersects the indentation in the upper end of the follower. The end of the string isrove through the upper hole in follower G, thence through the hole below, and thence lies in the groove in the wall and in the notch in the end of the follower, so that should a string break close to the follower the broken string will not unwind and catch in the screw-threads, and thereby prevent the follower being drawn out of its hole.

I am aware that United States Patent No. 186,490 and British Patent No. 9,380 of 1884 show a means of stringing in which the wire is wound around a head or follower inserted in a screwhole in the wrest-plate and a tuning-screw depressing the follower in the hole to strain the string; butpraciicallysuch mode is useless without my improvement, as tuning cannot be accurately performed.

I claim as my invcntion- 1. The combination, with the wrest plate D, having a vertical scrcwtappcd hole grooved longitudinally to receive a string, F, of the follower G, having a lug, H, fitting in the groove, string F, threaded through holes in the follower and passed under the notched end,an d atu ning-screw,I, havingapointed end fitting into a central indentation in the top of the follower, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combinatioinwith the wrest-plate D,

, having a screw-threaded hole and a longr tudinal groove, of the follower G, having lug H, string F, and a tuning-screw, I, having a pointed end fitting into a corresponding indentation in the end of the follower, and the 5 shank reduced and provided with a tapering four-square head, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the string F, of

the follower G, having a lug, H, and provided with a conical indentation in the upper end, and the tuning-screw I, having a pointed end 10 matching the indentation, as set forth, for the purpose described.

RICHARD MOMILL AN. Witnesses:

EDWIN ELLIOTT,

WILLIAM MUNDELL. 

